Rearrange Carving List?

[Aaron B]

Is there a way to make it carve in the order you want to?

I have a depth cut with a ball nose. Then I have depth cut with the 1/8" straight bit, then I have a cut out with the 1/8" bit.

Instead of doing the ball nose first then the two 1/8" bit cuts, it does the 1/8" depth cut first, then I have to change to the ball nose for the second cut, then back to the 1/8" bit for the cut out.

Anyway to put the ball nose first then the two 1/8 bits after that?

[Aaron B]

just bumping

[BobHill]

Aaron,

The conventional method is to carve before cutting and that order is done by the machine. BUT ....

Yes you can establish what is cut first, BUT, to do so you'll have to make your design in the number of files that you would wish the steps to be cut or carved. In your example, you could make a full design on the wood as you've established it, then Save this total piece to one name.

Open that file and do a SAVE AS to "step one cut" (or whatever name you'd like to make it) When it's saved, you'll have a new MPC file along with your original. Go to your carving list in this new file and highlight and delete, one by one all but the one you wish to carve first and then do a Save.

Now open your original full file again and do a SAVE AS to "step two cut" (or whatever name you'd like to make it). When it's saved, you[ll have a new MPC file along with your original AND the step one file. Do the same thing by deleting all but the second cuts/carves you wish to make with the second run and do a SAVE.

You can do this as many times as you'd like to make individual carves/cuts, but remember that each time the machine is taking this as a NEW work, so you need to maintain wood for the rollers (or use a SLED) as well as flat placed for the bit to establish the surface.

Does this do it for you?

Bob

[Baron Richard]

BobHill,
Does that mean that the carving list order will not specify the order the carvings are done? Haven't gotten my machine yet (Tomorrow, according to Sears today... ), but I was using the carving list order in the demo software to make sure that the carving was done before the cutout was done...

If that's not the case, I'll have to split my project in to a couple of projects like you suggested.

[Aaron B]

The cut out is always done last even if you put it in the software fist.

[BobHill]

Aaron is right, of course, but as I outlined, breaking up what you really want into different MPC files, you'd have to be sure that you open and put the right MPC file in order for them to cut/carve or you'll run into trouble of course, as the machine only knows one MPC file at a time, and it carves and then cuts in that order ONLY for that particular file. Hope this doesn't confuse you.

Bob

[Aaron B]

It doesn't take that long to change bits I was just hoping to move things around the carving list. Your way would work though but I think changing bits is faster than messing with the menu for each operation but it could come in handy sometime.